 |
In this deeply felt memoir, Anthony lays bare her marriage to a difficult man afflicted with alcoholism. She tracks her life from childhood to adolescence and her eventual marriage and family life, revealing the challenges and triumphs along the way. With searing honesty and hard-won insight, she writes about her life experiences, comes to terms with the choices she made, and hopes to impart her wisdom to others. The power of the personal story is on display as the writer shares vignettes from her life in Malaysia, including rich cultural details. Readers will see her grow as a woman, wife, and mother. As her life progresses, she is confronted with the clash of her idyllic visions of her married life with a reality that is not what she expected.
The author effectively captures the plight of a family ensnared in the clutches of alcoholism. She recounts her husband's failings as he descends deeper into drinking, making him unreliable, ashamed, and desperate. Her love for him is evident in her descriptions and unfailing hope that he will change, but she and her children are constantly let down in new and astounding ways. Eventually, as his health begins to fail, she is faced with the worst possible outcome when his liver fails, and he is diagnosed with cirrhosis. This courageous account delves into the fallout of alcoholism: the financial woes, the health challenges, and the impact on the extended family. Rich with detail, this potent memoir will resonate with anyone who has found that life doesn't always turn out the way one hopes. It reveals that there is room for forgiveness and love even in the worst situations.